Irrational
by JirachiOfElephantsandWhales
Summary: Kuchiki Rukia, kidnapped by a dangerous fugitive- and who never returned home. Nearly three years later, she is finally found by her loved ones once more, but no one can be relieved. How can they be, when they barely recognise her, the once most loyal fighter of the land? But then love was never rational. IchiRuki. Slight AU. Check profile for story's status.
1. Chapter 1

_**Warning: This is an AU. The setting is slightly similar to Bleach, but the characters are different. Ichigo here has the style of hair he had at the final stage of his Getsuga Tenshou. Not the masked look covering his face, but the one before when he still had orange hair, and when it was really long. Also, I mean it when I say some of the characters are rather different. I portrayed some of the characteristics and circumstances of the characters differently, but not too drastically different.**_

* * *

_She traced her hand along the exposed trim muscles of his well-toned abdomen, enjoying the feel of rugged hardness beneath her touch. The darkness of his fallen robes pooled the ground around them, like a pair of inky wings shrouding them protectively. His long orange locks floated serenely about, some of them drooping over the beautiful angular features of his face…_

"_Rukia," he let out a small noise of disapproval, deep baritone slightly unclear. Golden eyes glowed ardently for his lover. Her tiny body lay nestled comfortably by his lengthy side, one of his arms curled possessively around her. Dark waves of her hair fanned his shoulder._

"_It's my turn," she whispered determinedly, soft voice ringing with resolve. He had brought her to nirvana about three times already, giving her the rapture which lifted her to the singing heavens through his skilled, exploring fingers. Her tiny lips thinned. It was her turn, indeed._

_She wanted to taste him as well._

_Her fingers faintly moved on, her skin prodding his own gently. She stroked along the thin trail of orange hair running down from his navel, all the way to… _

_She ignored that for now, fascinated by the narrow long line of hair along his abs. It was silky and soft to the touch, much like the hair flowing from his head. He sighed, voice rumbling soothingly as his own hand reached out to stroke her neck. She immediately shifted his large palm away._

"_Until I'm done with you," she said firmly, "You cannot touch me."_

"_Oh?" A long, thin orange eyebrow arched. "You seem rather confident about your sudden dominance."_

_He was mocking her, she knew. When it came to physical dominance, she was the last one to have it over him. _

"_You want to enjoy this, or do you not, fool?" Rukia asked patiently._

"_Touching you is enjoyment," he replied easily. Scarlet painted her fair cheeks. "Being with you is enjoyment."_

"_Then let me," she said._

_He let her._

_She continued exploring his lean body, admiring the impressive physique. The woman glanced up to see amber eyes flickering intently at her from beneath his drooping orange bangs. She smiled, but he did not miss the sadness in her violet orbs._

"_What's wrong, hm?" His voice sounded faintly unconcerned, as if he was merely asking a random comment, but she knew better._

"_Well, I was just thinking," Rukia replied quietly, trying to sound just as unconcerned, despite the fact that she knew they were both equally serious. She had to be very cautious now. He would never do anything to hurt her, but she knew she had to play her cards carefully if she was to get what she wanted. "We've been together for so long, almost three years. And in all that time, my family… I do admit that I rather… miss them."_

"_You have me," her companion's voice was calm and unfathomable. "Unless I am not enough for you?"_

"_Of course not," she said faintly, choosing her words discreetly, delicate fingers twirling against the dark tone of his smooth skin. "You are more than enough. Take my family as an… extra luxury I wish to enjoy."_

"_Indeed?" He sounded sardonically amused. She swallowed slightly. "Take me as all the needs and luxuries you want then. As you've said, I am more than enough."_

"_Ich-" she opened her mouth to protest further, but he simply cut in with a voice so nonchalant and yet so commanding. "Sleep."_

_And she knew the discussion was over._

* * *

Renji Abarai swiped his heavily tattooed arm authoritatively through the air, his dark Shinigami robes shaking against the shadowy outline of the trees around him. The air was thick with unsaid tension and trepidation, and nothing of the serene forest could cut through it. The shinigami before him lowered their heads with respectful assent, their raven-robed figures blurring swiftly along the grassy ground as they sped off with whipping velocity, zanpakuto at the ready.

Renji took a deep breath, thin black eyes narrowing slightly against the piercing golden rays of dawn. Gold light slithered and crept through tall, towering trees like yellow, glowing tendrils and the crisp, fresh grass wound through the sinewy paths of the thick forest floor. Morning dew glistened tranquilly from where the crystal, shimmering liquid lay perched on bobbing leaves, and he could vaguely hear the sounds of flying birds chirping faintly from all around him. His crimson hair seemed to shine vibrantly like raging flames against the peeking sunlight.

He didn't have the time to admire the scenery. What was there to admire? There had been nothing worth admiring since Rukia Kuchiki had vanished nearly three years ago.

She had left just like that. The most patriotic, and loyal shinigami in Soul Society. She was the type who had been more than willing to die for her comrades and home. She had been his friend. She had been a sister. She had been a leader.

She had been a lot of things to many different people, but her roles had disappeared along with her. Now the only role she played to all people alike was a defected, runaway shinigami, and she was to be captured back at all costs.

Well, maybe not to all people alike. To Heaven's Fang, she was probably his possession.

_Heaven's Fang_. The name struck a chord of ringing fury in Renji's stomach. He was a… what was he, really? No one really knew who he was. He had first appeared in Soul Society about half a century ago, an aloof, regal figure at the entrance of the Seretei gates, cloaked in black robes that billowed against his lean, dangerously-built body. Long orange hair fell over the elegant features of his sharp face, his countenance beautifully disinterested.

He had some shinigami blood in him; that much was for sure. Renji had seen something akin to a zanpakuto in the man's hand, a beautiful, long black sword brimming and crackling with lethal vitality. And the dark robes he donned… they were no doubt a shinigami's robes, even if they looked quite different from the actual shinigami uniform. He had long, tendrils of gleaming ebony chains winding around one well-toned, sun-kissed arm, and a high collar of black fabric wrapped around his slender neck.

But none of that was why he was known as Heaven's Fang.

The mysterious man had stood there before the gates, just standing and watching and _surveying _the gates with a cool nonchalance. Rukia –_God Bless her, she had still been there with Renji then_- had been furious and apprehensive at the sight of the intruder over there, although technically he hadn't attempted to break through. But no one could mistake the dangerous crackling of spiritual pressure rolling all around them from the man, and how even Renji, a vice-captain, had trembled lightly against the vast, malignant power rumbling formidably in the atmosphere. And the beautiful man's expression, so devoid of concern, against the terrifying aura he was emanating.

The gate keeper, Jidanbo, had towered over the man, muscled, enormous arm swinging, weapon heavy and bulky. "Who be you?" he bellowed. "Get out of here!"

The man stared impassively back.

And after some hesitation as he met the icy stare, Jidanbo raised his arm, intending to just callously swipe the nuisance away. And the man, gazing up at the attack looming ominously before him, lazily swiped his own sword.

The result was anything but lethargic.

A huge gash of black, bubbling immense energy, so venomous and hateful and seemingly wailing for the righteousness of justice -as if it had torn out of the heavens itself- burst out of his sword; a long bent arc of terrible power in the suddenly still air, dangerous energy rippling wildly, and it ripped right through the giant that was Jidanbo.

Jidanbo screamed. _Screamed._

The large being had toppled over, large feet grinding the dirt, a terrible noise echoing from his twisted mouth, blood sprinkling the air like filthy fireworks, and it crushed the gate he was supposed to protect with a heavy crumble of marble and rock. Shinigami poured forward instantly, yelling.

Renji, numb with shock and horror, had looked at the man, who was watching his own handiwork with his never changing expression. The last thing Renji had seen was an impassive amber eye glancing at him before it vanished with a swirl of air along its owner.

00

The only consolation was that Jidanbo had survived his terrible experience- just barely. He had been sent out of commission for a whole month, recovering from the deep jagged crimson wound slashed across the vast expanse of his torn chest. That simple sword in the man's arm, just a mere flick, and it had done this to the giant.

And _he _was immediately known as Heaven's Fang from the whole of Soul Society.

"This is ridiculous," Yamamoto thundered during a captain's meeting, his deep voice rumbling angrily. The wrinkled eyes slitted menacingly. "An intruder appears at our gates, perilously injure one of my men, and then vanishes without a trace?"

Renji stood behind Kuchiki-Taicho, his head lowered respectfully and his thin mouth set in a grim, hard line. The atmosphere in the long stretch of the sparse yet large room was tense and angry, almost suffocating him.

"Our men have searched everywhere," Ukitake said seriously, eyes set with consternation. Renji wasn't sure how things were going for his health with the current situation. "He's not in any district in Rukongai. If he is, then I can only say he is very cleverly hidden."

"_Who_ is he?" Hitsugaya frowned, running a frustrated hand through his white bobbing locks, teal eyes narrowed in contemplation. "He most certainly must be a shinigami, especially with that zanpakuto…"

He trailed off. No one bothered to mention that what with all the menacing power, everything about that man suggested he was much more than just a shinigami… There was no need to.

"It matters not who or what he is," Yamamoto snapped, his grip on his cane tightening. His veiny knuckles bulged. "All we need to know is that he's an enemy of Soul Society. And he must be found, something all of us must put our efforts into _right now_."

Those were easy words to say, naturally. That wasn't to mean that the shinigami did not work hard in trying to find him- they did. They scored all the hundred districts of Rukongai, a black mess moving resolutely through the dirty streets and into every hut, but all they came across were weather-beaten Rukongai citizens watching them warily. It was like he had vanished off the face of the Earth- at least, every crook and nanny of Soul Society. It almost made one wonder whether he had existed in the first place. Yet, just looking at the enormous beast that was Jidanbo, his chest nearly ripped apart, was enough to stop doubting your memory. The fact was that this man –as it came to the realization of soul society- was not someone to be found, but rather someone who appeared whenever he wanted to.

The next time they saw him again was about six years later. Renji had been leading a mission after a recent Hollow sighting in Inuzuri, and the battle had been harsh and bloody and violent. The onslaught of the white, howling demons had been viciously relentless, and nearby huts ended up destroyed in a shower of splintered wood and debris. Rukongai citizens scurried away bare-footed like desperate, fear-driven rabbits, eyes wild. It had not been a pleasant battle, but then, few battles were. Renji had been frustrated, his grip on Zabimaru tight and his knuckles white, angry at the overwhelming numbers of Hollows and at himself.

"Sir!" the Third-Seat was shouting something, but Renji, who was struggling against the iron-hard white armour of a persistent Hollow, was feeling too aggressive and agitated to care. "_Sir!_"

"What?" Renji snarled, Zabimaru shooting out in a lethal, metal rush against the demon. The Hollow was immediately smashed into white smithereens upon the powerful impact, screeching, only to be replaced by another one of its kind. "We- are- _not_ retreating, you hear? Not on your life!"

"No-sir, that!"

Renji looked.

And only one person, despite also not being from the Sixth Division, walked calmly from some distance away towards them, the long mop of his orange hair as distinct as ever, not to mention appearing completely unaffected by the piles of rubble and screaming people around him. The howl of the dusty winds whipped across his unruffled demeanour, his black robes billowing as always.

And with a slash of his sword, the same power that had struck down Jidanbo easily struck down the stream of wailing Hollows in a powerful burst of blood-chilling black, impenetrable energy and long echoing anguished cries of the tormented souls that were Hollows. Renji, as again, was left dazed and marvelling over the immense power of the man.

Who _was_ he?

Naturally the division had gone wild upon seeing him after so many years, swords waving threateningly and war cries spilling from their determined mouths. And Heaven's Fang, after glancing boredly at his new adversaries -how _dare_ he- had turned with a flick of his robed arm, and just... disappeared in a whirlwind of gritty dust and leaves, leaving behind a line of raging shinigami.

Until now, Renji still wasn't sure how Heaven's Fang had done it. Either he had teleported, or he had such an advanced form of Flash Step that not even the shinigami could catch up to him. It was all so... intimidating, somehow. And yet at the same time, Renji couldn't deny the thrill of a challenge this stranger brought him. Here was a mysterious creature of such raw spiritual energy, a danger and an enigma to Soul Society. It... perked up the almost monotonous dull of his life somehow.

Little did he know that in just fifty years' time, he would do anything to achieve the monotonous dull of his life again. At the very least, he had had Rukia by his side then.

He still remembered how she had hated Heaven's Fang back then. He had mocked Sereitei, she had declared with a righteously furious passion. He had injured Jidanbo, disappeared for years despite consistent and diligent searching and then casually returned again to slay the Hollows the team of shinigami had worked so hard to battle against. She would work herself up, violet eyes glowing with fervour, declaring that one day, just _one day_, she would see to it that the man paid for what he did. Injuring one's honour... now that was unforgivable.

He had never expected that _that _one day would mean he would never see her again. Not for three years, anyway.

That one day was also the last day he saw Heaven's Fang. They had disappeared together, he recalled.

He and Rukia had been training together by a small hill in Hanging Dog, a place that held sentimental regard for them, being the district they had grown up together in. It was by no means a pleasant place, with beggars lying sprawled on the grimy roadside and thugs prowling the streets aimlessly, seeking people to beat up and rob. There were really no other people who weren't thugs or beggars or simple scavengers, and therefore most of the time street fights broke out when thugs turned on each other for a good, violent way to vent their frustrations at the futility of their lives.

Renji and Rukia, wishing no way to be involved in those brawls, had lurked in a mostly empty area near the forest and by the hill, sparring. It had been a good spar, Renji recalled. They had really been working it on, sweating but enjoying the good workout, their swords clanging against each other with heavy reverberations that only increased the adrenaline rush sweeping through their darting bodies. Sparks spun in the air.

And they had seen _him, _so nonchalantly standing and simply so non-intrusive, that they mightn't had noticed him if not for the fact that they had looked up at that moment. The man was standing, slender and tall, on the top of the hill, his orange mane golden against the beautiful sunset painted across the vast stretch of the sky. His head had been bent back lightly as he watched the honey splash of the glowing setting sun by the horizon. At that very moment, he looked nothing like a killer who had struck down a giant gatekeeper and a flock of vengeful hollows. The angular, elegant features of his face, instead of holding its usual steely, unfathomable expression, looked… well, _soft._ It was a silly way to say it, Renji knew, but it seemed to be the only thing he could think of to describe the man's countenance.

In that heartbeat, Heaven's Fang simply looked like an ordinary person admiring the scenery.

Rukia had tensed beside him, huge eyes flashing violet fire, and she slashed Sode No Shirayuki against the air with a white _whoosh_. "It's him, Renji," she announced through gritted teeth, resolution glimmering through her fixed expression. "I'm going to kill him."

And before he could even reply, Zabimaru at the ready, she had zoomed off with a leap of her sandaled feet; a bullet of black and white whipping towards the man standing not far from them, winds tearing through the dirt of the ground at her immense speed. She was fast naturally, being the younger sister of Byakuya Kuchiki, but Heaven's Fang, looking placidly at her approach, simply turned and the air blurred as he, too, set off away from her.

Renji, about to dash after them, growled when the Third-Seat of the Sixth Division shimmered into view next to him, his head lowered respectfully. "Kuchiki-Taicho calls for your presence," he announced politely, not noticing Renji's frustrated consternation. "There've been Hollow sightings in the eastern district and he requires your aid immediately."

Renji clenched his teeth, his grip on Zabimaru so tightly to the point that the hilt nearly cracked from within his trembling, taut fist. Crimson spikes waved at the sudden breeze that filtered across their bodies as he made the decision that would change his life. The man glanced at the now empty hill before them; the pair had long vanished.

"Alright," he finally said. "I'm coming."

He never saw her again.

At least, not for about three years. There had been sightings of her, naturally, and they came out in reports sent to the offices. Almost every day, for the first year since she was gone and never came back, Renji had searched for her desperately all over the districts, refusing to even cease his attempts, despite his friends' urges that he stop something so… futile. He hated that word.

He didn't want to believe those reports. There was no way, no way, that she could have become Heaven's Fang's ally. There was no way that she could had been by his side, laughing and smiling, as the sightings of the pair in a Rukongai district had been made out to be. The district citizens didn't know anything. They only knew Heaven's Fang as someone who had helped them destroy Hollows every now and then, not someone who had kidnapped their friend and assaulted their gatekeeper.

His thoughts finally brought back to the present, Renji stepped through a fat leaf, brushing the green fibre off his broad shoulder as he approached the shimmering lake in the middle of the beautiful forest. A small, dark-haired woman stood by the lake, watching her tiny toes wriggle in the crystal water. Green and yellowing leaves lay scattered over the water surface, a splash of fading colours on the clear, glistening surface. The woman, dressed in a pretty purple kimono, peered serenely at the picturesque painting of nature laid out before her. The kimono brought out her eyes beautifully.

It had been three years.

Renji looked at the rumoured lover of Heaven's Fang, and said, clearly and authoritatively, "Rukia Kuchiki, you are hereby arrested by the Gotei 13 for fraternising with a wanted fugitive for two years and eleven months. Please return to Soul Society with me now."

* * *

**Okay, I dunno why I'm writing another friggin' story when I still have Heal Me to complete but this story's idea came to me suddenly so now I'm writing it out. Please review and tell me what you think; it means so much to me! There'll be a lot of explanations and flashbacks on Ichigo and Rukia throughout their time together during the almost three years in the coming chapters. I'll see when I'll continue this if the response is good xD**

**Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I no own Bleach**_

* * *

**Two years and eleven months ago**

"_Release me!" The young woman writhed furiously at where she lay on the ground, her body bound by tightly knotted ropes, dark hair disheveled against her livid face. Her shinigami robes fluttered as she continued thrashing stubbornly, unfazed by her situation, while kicking up soil and leaves in the violence of her movements. "Release me, and I demand you fight me properly like a man!" _

_Her captor gave her a lazy side-glance from where he stood by a tall, willowy tree –not unlike his own stature- and cocked his head almost mockingly towards her, satiny orange locks shifting to a lean shoulder. He was too damn attractive for his own good alright, and it made Rukia even angrier. "I already fought you," he pointed out dryly, "and you lost. Hilariously."_

_Rukia nearly choked on her rage, her tied legs slamming the ground desperately to no avail. The worst part was that this monster of a man had been right. Just seeing Sode No Shirayuki hanging casually from one of his large hands nearly drove her crazy, the beautiful white sword dangling precariously above the earthy ground. Her thoughts erratically flew back to only a few hours before._

_Said few hours ago, she had been sparring with Renji and had caught sight of Heaven's Fang standing on the hill. The familiar indignant anger had stirred within her stomach immediately at seeing him, and her heart pounded at the rare opportunity to find him at all-not to mention finding him with his guard down. Or so she had thought. This had been her great chance, and she barely had time to marvel at her amazing luck to be able to arrest him herself before she was racing towards Heaven's Fang, ignoring Renji's calls. _

_She had always prided herself for being incredibly fast, but that man- he surprised her. Despite her confidence that she was definitely quick enough to catch him –her own brother was the disciple of the Flash Goddess, after all- he had weaved about the streets so nimbly that she nearly lost sight of him. Bracing herself and making sure she was still breathing sufficiently, the shinigami had propelled her body even more swiftly forward. The wind whipped her ears in a loud gush, her large violet orbs fastened determinedly to her target. _

_She could not let him get away! _

_It went on for some time; her shooting after the dark, whipping streaks of his presence along the streets of Rukongai, soil flying and citizens stumbling out of the way. At one point of time, small doubts began crossing her mind. Was he actually… toying with her? The shinigami could already feel the large accumulation of lactic acid rising ominously in her diminutive form, and every leap of her feet sent pangs of pain along her sore muscles. Much as she wanted to lie to herself, she knew that she was slowing down. Yet her target remained ever so persistent, his speed constant. It was humiliating to know that he hadn't even slowed down or quickened once. _

_This was the man, after all, that had vanished in less than a second in front of almost the whole Sixth Division, much to the shock of everyone. Why wasn't he vanishing now? At first she had flattered herself into thinking that she was just exceptionally fast; but now… not so much. She was slowing down; he wasn't. There was a definite difference in stamina here. _

_Bur she couldn't give up, because she loathed this creature. She would show him, make him pay for mocking everyone including herself. _

_They whizzed through more districts, the faces of citizens nearby blurring as she sped past and before long they were heading near a cluster of tall trees. The forest, she vaguely recognized, too distracted by her aching lungs to take further notice. The chase went on as they thundered through the forest, and she panted audibly now, spitting leaves and twigs out of her mouth. To her annoyance, Mother Nature simply did not hinder him the way it hindered her. He weaved through the trees effortlessly. She couldn't dwell on it very long though, as he suddenly stopped._

_It was so abrupt that it took her by surprise. One minute the thin streak of his presence had still been expertly whipping in front through the maze of hovering branches, and next it had settled beside a lone tree within the thick, leafy forest. She narrowed her eyes at the tall figure materialized by the tree, and swung her sword back. Was he toying with her again?_

_No matter. She would show him she was no game._

_Summoning her quick reflexes, she halted, leaves stirring from her sandals and lashing out her sword she pounced at him, the length of her weapon glinting menacingly in the sunlight. However, undaunted, he simply raised his arm, the one with tendrils of ebony chains winding around him, and her sword fell to clash with the hard metal. Sparks ricocheted. She gritted her teeth at the heart-jerking impact, fingers taut against the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki. His expression was unreadable, and that only increased the fury in her. Rukia pushed her sword harder against the black chains of his arm, refusing to yield her grip. Who had chains wound around one arm anyway? Was he some guy with a kinky fetish?_

_The cold golden eyes blinked once beneath the long eyelashes, and suddenly, before she knew it, a hard punch to her stomach sent her flying across the air. It _hurt. _The guy could pack a freaking punch alright. It was like steel shoved mercilessly against her abdomen, and she reeled helplessly for air, her lungs contracting painfully. The heavy landing on the hard ground didn't help matters either, and she could feel the lumpy, bristly surface of a root beneath her. She blinked her own watering eyes for a few brief seconds, trying to drive the pain away. Those brief few seconds cost her heavily though, for he leant down casually and picked up her fallen sword, playing disinterestedly with the hilt. Fresh anger soared through her veins at his action, and she instantly flung up her arm, fingers poised. "Hado no-"_

_Another ruthless punch caught her by the side of her face, cutting off her spell, and this time she cried out in the pain, unable to stop herself. It was something she would be ashamed about for a very long time, but right then the agony rendered her nearly unconscious. This guy wasn't human. There was no way anyone could hit so hard, or so fast, unless he was another version of Kenpachi._

_He was just as ruthless too. _

_A few excruciating heartbeats passed as she sat there in dazed stupor, her skull ringing from the impact of his blow. He roughly hoisted her up without a single trace of concern for her welfare, and she flinched as ropes wrapped around her body, tightening callously into her abused flesh. She winced again, clenching her teeth, slightly more conscious this time, and peered detachedly into beautiful yet mirthless golden eyes. His lips were an emotionless, hard line across his smooth skin, and it almost reminded her of her brother. After tying her up hard enough to almost cut off her blood circulation –where the hell had that rope come from? He really was kinky, she thought dazedly- he released her, dumping her painfully onto the same old root. _

"_You bastard," she hissed, after a few silent minutes passed. The pain had subsided somewhat; at least, her head has stopped feeling like a blade-filled hurricane. "Release me!" _

_Her captor took no notice of her, to which she started writhing indignantly. However, he had simply tied her too tightly and every move shot agonizing electric pangs along her damaged skin. Still she persisted, ignoring how he raised an eyebrow at her futile actions. _

_This had gone on for some time, and right now Rukia glared at him poisonously, her thoughts finally collected to the present. "I may have lost to you then," she snapped, "But I want to fight you again. Release me, you jerk! Do you not have a shred of honor in you?"_

"_No, I just don't have the time to play with you," Heaven's Fang drawled indolently. Her eyes were wide as he slowly reached out a free hand beneath the tree, a leaf fluttering down to fall gently into his calloused palm. He stared down at it curiously. _

_She had no idea what he was thinking, and she didn't care. He was a sicko with a kinky fetish, that much she had concluded. And he obviously wasn't taking her seriously, that jerk._

"_You're an insufferable douchebag! I won't forgive you for what you did to Jidanbo! Mock me if you want, but I will make you pay!" She promised, venom dripping from her voice. Her legs flailed from within the ropes._

"_I don't really care." His baritone was bland and brusque. And he indeed sounded like… he didn't care._

"_What do you want from me?" She snarled, miffed at the utter lack of impact her words had on him so far. The woman ignored the ache by her jaw, knowing a whooper of a bruise was going to appear there soon._

"_Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He inquired wryly. Leaves drifted about the pair, and breeze stirred serenely, sending ripples across the grass. It would have been a beautiful sight if not for the fact that she had been taken hostage. "_You _came after me."_

"_I'm taking you back to Seretei with me," she retorted bluntly. "You will pay for your actions."_

_He arched his eyebrow again at the present tense of her words, and she scowled furiously at the motion. She hated it that he kept making that condescending expression at her. She was the one who was supposed to do it to him! None of this was going as planned, dammit. Where was Renji? Together they could still take on that kinky idiot before her, and arrest him! At the very least, she still had Heaven's Fang under her eye, and that was impressive enough already, never mind the fact that she was the one being held against her will. She could… hold him here with her somehow, until Renji arrived with reinforcements. Hopefully. That red-haired idiot knew she had gone after Heaven's Fang, and now that she thought about it, he sure was slow to arrive._

_In the meantime, the shinigami couldn't help but peer closer at Heaven's Fang's profile despite her utter loathing towards him. Earlier on she had been too caught up in rage to care, but this man was Soul Society's biggest enigma, after all. Seeing him was a rare occasion. _

_He was no doubt beautiful, she grudgingly admitted. He was so very tall, his physique obviously wicked and elegantly sleek beneath the dark robes, and she could easily make out the taut curves of his long arms. There was no question that his most distinct feature was his orange mane, the vibrant silky strands of hair curling over the fine, angular features of his face and long, slender neck. His skin was flawless and a sort of beautiful golden from being sun-kissed. She noticed his lengthy, sheathed dark sword strapped to his lean waist, and felt a mix of fear at what it had done to Jidanbo, and humiliation that he hadn't even needed that thing to defeat her._

_And his unique eyes, she noted, which were hooded beneath sooty, long eyelashes totally wasted on a guy, were smothering pools of amber honey. There was no warmth in them. _

"_Is an inspection part of your pathetic attempts to arrest me too?" His dry, acidic voice cut into her reverie, and her cheeks instantly caught on fire. He had noticed her looking at him! _

_Rukia swung her head haughtily, attempting to hide her embarrassment at being caught. "Shut up, you little piece of-"_

"_Little? Me?" He drawled mockingly, the corner of his lips rising. The man finally turned his head away from the tree to sneer at her. It was the most amount of emotion she had ever seen on his face since the first time he appeared at the Seretei gates, and she struggled wildly against her binds, wanting to rip him apart. "That's rich, coming from you."_

_He had gone too far this time. "I am _not _little!" she spat compulsively, pupils glowering violet fire. "I just don't happen to be freakishly tall! How dare you say such things, you kinky bastard?"_

_There was a very long silence at her words. _

_The anger blazing in her was instantly overshadowed by something else as she realized what she had just said. Whatever embarrassment she had felt earlier when he had caught her staring at him was nothing compared to what she felt now. This time he turned fully to face her, and both his thin, orange eyebrows were raised sky-high, her white sword freezing in mid-swing from his hand. _

"_Kinky?" He repeated slowly, and she cringed at the amusement coloring his tone. Not even her aching body could distract her mortification this time. "I had no idea your mind was so dirty, little shinigami. Are all shinigami just like you?"_

"_Shut up," she said through gritted teeth. "Shut up. And don't call me little."_

"_You are at my mercy," Heaven's Fang continued, ignoring her, his eyebrows still arched, "and you are entertaining sexual thoughts? Now I really am amused. Perhaps the shinigami aren't so boring after all."_

_Great. When she had longed for him to react to her insults and threats, he had been tight-lipped. Now he just wouldn't shut up when she wanted him to. It was like everything about him was built to annoy her. "We'll see what you think about the shinigami after Renji arrives and we arrest you," she snapped viciously, baring her teeth. Damn her bound fingers; she would do anything to be able to blast a spell on him right now and wipe that smirk off his face. _

_It turned out she didn't need to use Kidou, however. The smirk magically vanished abruptly, and the shutters closed over his expression, wiping out any remaining traces of emotion once more. "Tell me," he said quietly, "what do you shinigami intend to do to me?"_

_This time Rukia's eyebrows flew up. "To arrest you, of course," she said, confusion momentarily distracting her from her anger towards him. "What else?"_

"_What happens after you arrest me?" He went on calmly, the question in the timbre of his voice clear. "Do you execute me? Life imprisonment? What?"_

_His inquiries only confused her even more. Why would he care? She hadn't even given those things a thought at all, and she doubted neither had Renji. Everyone was far more concerned with the likelihood of even capturing him, let alone what would happen afterwards. Still, now that she allowed herself to contemplate, this man had seriously injured Jidanbo and that was a crime worthy of long-term imprisonment. But Jidanbo hadn't died, so perhaps the crime had been lightened?_

_It was really all up to Central 46 and Captain Yamamoto to decide. Perhaps Captain Kurotsuchi would want to experiment on him. _

_Slight prickles of unease and discomfort began to invade Rukia's skin at the realization that she didn't even know who Heaven's Fang was. Or what. Was he a shinigami? Yet she thought back to the detached way he had referred to her. "Little shinigami," he had said. And he had asked her, the words echoing persistently in her head, -"_Are all shinigami just like you?"

_Not to mention she recalled the malicious and dangerously overwhelming aura he was well-known for. He hadn't unleashed it at all so far, not even when she had been chasing him, and the abrupt realization of that made her fearful. Had he been waiting for the right time to strike all along? _

"_You haven't answered me." _

_Rukia jumped at his deep voice, unwillingly dragged from her disconcerting thoughts. Suddenly, she was not as confident around him as before. "I don't know," she said softly. "I don't know what they intend to do with you."_

"_You lie." His voice was accusing and she tilted her head up hesitantly to meet his hostile gaze. "Until you tell me the truth, you're not going anywhere."_

_Why did he care about that so much? It wasn't as if he was on the verge of being captured. Not yet, anyway. And who was he? What was he hiding? The silent questions in her pounding head only served to feed Rukia's sudden fear. _

_Of him._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

The faint crunching of grass permeated the air. Renji pushed a protruding root away with his foot, trying to clear a proper path for him and the quiet woman behind him in the forest. Bees buzzed from a wild flower nearby, and the chirping of birds sounded tranquilly from overhead tree branches.

The atmosphere, however, was anything but peaceful. The silence between them hung with heavy trepidation, like a bubbling, ominous storm cloud. On his part, Renji simply couldn't bring himself to look closely at the woman behind him. Not yet. He could hear the soft, demure footsteps treading the crisp grass and earth, the only thing that told him she was still following behind. Her hands, he knew, had been bound by metal chains. He had tied her up himself, and to his vague surprise, she had been very compliant.

Rukia Kuchiki had showed no signs of resistance.

They continued walking on in silence, as if saving their voices for the huge confrontation that would surely come on later. A few tense heartbeats later, the pair came in sight of the camp.

A fire glowed within a nest of crackling twigs and wood, yellow sparks dancing in the air. A tent had been pitched a small distance behind it, the dark green shape towering inconspicuously along the trees circling it. The words "_SIXTH DIVISION" _was printed on the green nylon in bold, black ink, along with the elegant designated flower of the division.

But it wasn't the tent or the fire that had truly caught the duo's attention. It was the shinigami of the Sixth division working around the camp, or at least they had been, before Renji and Rukia arrived, twigs snapping beneath their sandals. Now they straightened from their respective tasks, eyes widening as they drank in the sight of Rukia Kuchiki for the first time in three years. A few nearly dropped their zanpakuto, and the Third Seat himself was staring in open shock, mouth wide open.

Renji turned at last to face his prisoner, his jaw clenching, only to see Rukia giving everyone a tentative smile. Her bound hands rose slightly for a half-hearted wave, the chains tinkling in response.

"You found her," the Third Seat gasped, and as obvious as his statement was, it was something everyone had needed to hear to confirm the sight before their disbelieving eyes. They crowded closer, crow-black robes flickering along the shady outline of the trees.

"That's enough," Renji barked, his muscled arm waving to fend them off. They halted immediately, heads dipping respectfully, including the Third Seat. "I'm taking her to the tent with me. Koru-san, come with me." Said Third Seat nodded in assent, his hand setting his sheathed sword strapped to his side. Behind Renji, a small, sad smile crept over Rukia's lips.

They treaded into the entrance of the tent, Koru-san lifting the nylon flap to let his superior and _prisoner _through. He then followed them in, and watched respectfully as Renji gestured coldly at Rukia to seat herself on the floor. It was not a big tent, merely one to keep their mission's supplies, and said sacks of staple food were propped around them in brown piles. Rukia obeyed, her dark head bent as she lowered her body onto the hard floor, legs curling beneath her kimono.

Renji eyed her skeptically, now forced to observe her. His heart rolled in his chest as the sight of the girl; he simply couldn't believe she was finally… back. She certainly didn't look like she had been Heaven's Fang's prisoner. If anything, she didn't look like a prisoner at all. Her usually pale cheeks now gave off a dainty rosy sheen, her eyes bright and glowing, and the kimono she donned certainly didn't look cheap. Her dark hair was slightly longer than he last remembered, and it shone glossily in the dimness of the tent. She looked absolutely healthy and robust.

He didn't want to think about what that could mean.

"Rukia," he said, and how foreign that name was in his mouth! That name used to represent joy and warmth to him, but now as he looked at her properly for the first time in almost three years, none of those emotions surfaced in his heart. "We will be sending you to Seretei in a few hours' time, and your verdict will be announced by the Central 46."

Rukia tilted her head slightly, the sad smile on her face lengthening. "No hellos from you, Renji?" She asked quietly, the disappointment coloring her tone. "I was hoping you'd be less formal to an old friend."

Renji met her gaze steadily from where he sat opposite her. "Friends don't suddenly leave each other, Rukia. And when they do leave, they don't disappear without a word for three years."

Rukia nodded resignedly at his bitter words, violet eyes faltering. "I have failed as a friend when it comes to that, Renji. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Renji leaned forward, and Rukia, startled, gazed at his suddenly livid features. His large fists were clenched, and his crimson hair gleamed along with his rising temper. "Is that all you have to say to me, Rukia? A mere _sorry_?"

"I don't know what else to say," she answered softly. Her fingers twitched. "But I do mean it when I said I'm sorry. Please believe me."

"Then tell me this," Renji said breathily, black eyes intently roving the oh-so-familiar features before him. "Throughout the three years, have you thought of any of us at all?" _Have you thought of me?_

"Every day and every minute of my life," Rukia said quietly, "I have."

There was a long pause. Koru's head was bowed.

"If that's the case," Renji said pleadingly, his voice rough and strained with desperation, "tell me you were held against your will with _him_. That _he_ forced you to stay for all three years." The red-haired man stared at Rukia beseechingly, his body tense and his knuckles white from clenching his fists.

"I cannot," Rukia said in the same deadly quiet voice. Renji's eyes widened, and she watched his jaw tighten. "He wanted me to stay, and I stayed because I wanted to as well. I stayed because I," her voice never wavered even when Renji pointedly looked away, "love him."

At her words, the vulnerability Renji had allowed to show in his countenance immediately melted away to be kept under his hard mask once more. "So the rumors and sightings were true," he snapped. "You have changed. He's brainwashed you."

His words had the same immediate impact hers had on him. Her thin shoulders snapped up defensively, her initially docile eyes now flashing purple sparks of indignation. "How dare you say that, Renji?" She shot back. She looked so much like the old Rukia then that his heart did another somersault in his chest. "Just because you see something you don't understand doesn't mean I have changed! I thought you had more faith in me! And don't you dare point fingers at him, because what I do in my life is not anyone's decision!"

"Oh, I think you've showed that quite well enough for the past three years," Renji retorted coldly, and her anger faltered, knowing he was referring to her last line. He gave her a stare cold enough to frost a fire. "I only wanted to give you an easier way out, after all. If you had been held prisoner by him, then your sentence would definitely be canceled. But I see you're keen on digging your own grave."

"I will not lie, Renji." Rukia answered steadily, although traces of melancholy laced her tone at his coldness. The fire died in her eyes once more, and she sent him a wan smile.

Renji's mouth twisted. "Is that so?" He inquired bitterly. His eyes narrowed in interest. "Then who is Heaven's Fang? Is he a shinigami? Where does he live? _What _is he? If you give us the information we want, Rukia, then your crimes will be lessened, I promise you."

"I cannot say," Rukia began, "It is not my right-"

"_You cannot! You cannot_!" Renji roared, and both Rukia and Koru jumped at his sudden spike in rage. The lieutenant sprang to his feet, towering over Rukia with his formidable height, his tattooed face creased with hurt and fury. "Is there anything you _can_ say, Rukia, to me and to the people whom you grew up with? To Soul Society, your home? You tell me you're sorry, but you don't seem sorry at all! _Sorry _isn't going to take away the three years of pain that I felt, that Taicho felt, and that everyone in the Thirteenth Division felt! No! Instead, you chose to run off for a couple of years with the mad killer that attacked Jidanbo, thinking it is okay to just come back with a _sorry_! If that's all you think of us, then I _despise_ your sorry, Rukia!"

Rukia leapt to her feet as well, although with some difficulty due to her bound hands. Her little face was contorted as she yelled right back, her shrill voice bouncing off the thin walls of the tent. Koru cowered to a corner instantly, more scared of her than Renji. "What do you know? You're the same as always, Renji, because you only see what's before your eyes! _Maybe_ I did miss you guys! _Maybe_ I never wanted to leave in the first place! But sometimes there's a difference between what you _want_ and what you _need to do_, and I realized that! And don't call him a mad killer, Renji, because maybe in his eyes shinigami are no different from what you guys see him as!"

"He attacked Jidanbo!" Renji snarled right back, his deep voice bellowing intimidatingly against the quietness of the tent. A normal person would have been scared, but Rukia stood her ground, staring up at him defiantly. "That guy took down our gatekeeper! If I'm not wrong, I remember a missy saying then that she could never forgive him for what he did! That missy made a lot more sense back then than she does now, because I don't see how staying with that madman is something you _need to do _unless you're being a stupid lovestruck fool!" He pounded his fist violently against a sack of rice, causing the fabric to tear and grains to explode. "You love a murderer, Rukia! You love a _crazy_-"

"He is not a murderer!" Rukia screamed, cutting him off. "He didn't even kill Jidanbo! I'm not saying what he did to Jidanbo was right, Renji, because it wasn't, but like I said before, you only see what's right before your eyes, Renji!"

"At least I still have eyes to see!" Renji shouted. Outside the tent, the shinigami ran towards the deafening commotion, stopping right outside the entrance hesitantly. Koru watched them, hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto. "As for you, Rukia, you've gone insane! I will never, _never_ forgive what he did to you! You just think he's attractive, and now you-"

"He did nothing to me except show me what we've been so blind to, Renji!" Rukia cried furiously. "Three years ago, I admit I saw things exactly the way you do now! But then…" her voice dropped tiredly, delicate hands shaking within the confines of metal chains. He watched her, chest rising and lifting erratically, eyes blazing beneath his headband.

"I didn't return to fight with you, Renji," she murmured dejectedly, the arc of her eyelashes shadowing her skin. "But I see that's impossible."

"What the hell happened three years ago, Rukia?" Renji finally demanded, his voice calmer as well, mouth taut. Koru moved his hand away from his sword, seeing that the storm had dropped, although the tension was still as suffocating as ever.

Rukia sighed, and an exhausted look fell onto her elfin features. "A lot of things happened, Renji. But as you guessed," she gazed unseeingly at the fallen torn sack of rice lying on the floor, the white grains spilling from the ugly hole, "I was kidnapped, and I fell in love. With the most imperfect yet perfect man in the world. My captor."

* * *

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As usual, there are things not explained yet about Rukia and yes, Ichigo –but that's exactly what this story's about! Flashbacks on how they grew to care for each other and etc.**

**Crystalline Arch, annia9semi, ilovebks, IchigoMoonCutter, and anon, thanks for reviewing! You guys are all so sweet! As a writer, I leech off reviews and write! So please review!**


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